Love and Self

I have written you a letter I will call a "Love Note". You're getting this "Love Note" because I want to be better at Love and help other people learn about it as well. I will write and send a "Love Note" like this to a different person each day for thirty days. It is important for me to focus on my personal experience with Love, not give advice, direction or suggestions. For this reason, my "Love Notes" will always go to someone I have never met and know nothing about, and I chose you at random to get this note. We are strangers, but I am hopeful that what I write will somehow have meaning to you.

Love is frequently associated with gooey romance, chick flicks, happily ever after, physical attraction, gifts or saying yes when we should say no, and often our definition of Love ends there. Agape Love, the kind of Love shown by Mother Theresa, Christ, and someone who gives their life for a friend, is what I want to be better at, and it often requires me to consciously resist my self-preserving instincts.

Obviously, I haven't given up my life for a friend, but at times I have said kind words about someone who has purposely tried to damage my reputation, which definitely goes against my grain. On occasion, I have resisted the urge to mistreat, ignore or insult someone who has treated me badly, and that is not my first instinct because I have been blessed (or cursed) with a quick wit. Now and again I respond to an uptight stranger by letting them go ahead of me in line or offering a smile rather than mirroring their attitude, which can be hard or easy depending on my focus. Sometimes I decide not attack when being attacked, and respond with a posture of helping instead (because a person who is in attack mode is clearly in emotional distress).

I only wish I would remember to respond in Love usually instead of sometimes. I am better with this than I used to be. I do find it easier to "behave myself" if I start my day reading or listening to audio books or podcasts on uplifting topics. I am a follower of Christ, so I get a lot of clarity by starting my day with prayer and from Christ inspired audio and books. I also find books by authors like Jim Hunter and Ken Blanchard helpful. These guys teach the principles of service and Love as the most effective way to lead and inspire people (this keeps me properly focused at work). I find that if I don't start my day with positive input, and renew my commitment to this mission of being better at doing Love daily (sometimes more often), that I generally will not behave the way I know I should to meet my goal of being better at Loving others.

I'm not sure why I went in the direction I did with this "Love Note", but I will assume it was for a reason and I hope it brightened your day. Of all the people I might have mailed this "Love Note" to, it was your name and address I chose. Even though your name was picked at random, I am certain it wasn't by chance.